FAA bans U.S. carriers from flying over Persian Gulf
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said that all U.S. airlines and pilots were barred from flying over Iraq, Iran and the Persian Gulf amid increasing tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
The agency said it was concerned about the "potential for miscalculation or misidentification," according to the AP.
"The Federal Aviation Administration issued Notices to Airmen (NOTAMS) tonight outlining flight restrictions that prohibit U.S. civil aviation operators from operating in the airspace over Iraq, Iran, and the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman," the FAA said in a statement.
The news follows a tense few days in the Middle East. On Tuesday, Iranian ballistic missile strikes hit two Iraqi bases home to U.S. troops. It's unclear if there were fatalities, but President Trump tweeted late last night that he would make a statement on the attack.
Trump last week ordered the assassination of Iranian General Qassim Suleimani, who was killed at the Baghdad International Airport (BGW). Iran has promised retaliation, and some analysts have warned Americans to be especially cautious while traveling overseas. In fact, the U.S. State Department is urging Americans to leave Iraq immediately.
Read more: These are the U.S. travel advisories for January 2020
On Jan. 5, Iraq ordered all foreign troops to leave the country, calling the attack on Suleimani "a political assassination," and further escalating tensions in the region.
If you have a flight coming up and are concerned about the conflict, several international carriers worldwide said they would avoid the region. Malaysia Airlines told Reuters that its pilots would avoid the Persian Gulf, citing the "conflict airspace of Iran." Australian-based Qantas also said that it would avoid the airspace over Iraq and Iran for now, Air France said it would suspend flights over the region.
The State Department told The Points Guy over the weekend that it has not issued a new worldwide caution for travelers.
"We encourage all travelers to read the travel advisories for each of their destinations and the country-specific information on Travel.State.gov," a State Department spokesperson told TPG over the weekend.
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
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- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
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- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month